Disposal

Whitbread PLC
17 January 2007



17th January 2007


WHITBREAD PLC SELLS T.G.I. FRIDAY'S BUSINESS


Whitbread PLC ('Whitbread') has today announced that it has agreed to sell its
T.G.I. Friday's business for an aggregate price of £70.4m.  Whitbread opened the
first T.G.I. Friday's restaurant in the UK in 1986.  The business being sold
comprises 45 restaurants situated in the UK.



The property interests in 15 of the restaurants will be sold to British Land and
the remaining 30 properties and the operating business will be sold to T.G.I.
Friday's UK Limited, a joint venture between Carlson Restaurants Worldwide Inc.
and ABN AMRO Capital.  The joint venture will be taking 25 year leases from
British Land for each of the 15 properties.  The majority of the consideration
of £70.4m will be paid in cash on completion which is expected to take place in
March 2007.  The remainder will be paid on receipt of consents required for the
transfer of certain properties.



Completion is conditional upon, inter alia, the acquisition receiving clearance
from the EU competition authorities.



Whitbread will initially use the proceeds from the transaction to pay down debt.



Alan Parker, Chief Executive, Whitbread said, 'This sale marks the completion of
the review of our restaurants business announced last year.  We are now a leaner
more focused group, concentrating our management and capital on those businesses
where we have owned brands with leading positions and strong growth prospects.'





For more information please contact:



Christopher Rogers,
Group Finance Director, Whitbread PLC               [phone]



Anna Glover,
Communications Director, Whitbread PLC             +44  (0) 1582 844439



Miranda Acland, Tulchan                            +44  (0) 207 353 4200


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange